Three New Musicals To Get Development At The O'Neill This Summer

Three new musicals will receive staged readings this summer as part of the 2013 National Music Theater Conference at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, artistic director Paulette Haupt announced Tuesday.

"Broadcast," with book and Lyrics by Nathan Christensen and music by Scott Murphy with performances will kick off the three-work series June 22 at 8 p.m.; June 23 at 3 p.m.; June 26 at 8 p.m.; and June 28 at 7 p.m.

The show is described: "Does our constantly evolving technology really help us to connect with each other, or is it keeping us at a distance? That is the question of the original wireless era a hundred years ago—at the dawn of radio. [The show] weaves together the lives of inventors, housewives, soldiers, salesmen,and the people next door, all trying to be heard over the invisible waves of that brand new world."

Next up is "The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes," with book and lyrics by Christopher Dimondand music by Michael Kooman. Performances are June 29 at 8 p.m.; June 30 at 3 p.m.; July 3 at 8 p.m.; July 5 at 7 p.m.

The show is described: "Howard Barnes is a perfectly average man in his early thirties, until the day that he wakes up to discover that his life has become a musical. Desperate to escape from the show, Howard embarks on a fantastical quest through the realm of musical theater. Equal parts satire, romantic comedy, and love letter to the American musical, [the show] is intended for people who love musical theater, and their spouses who hate it."

The conference concludes with "Goddess" with book, lyrics, and music by Mkhululi Mabija and Michael Thurber. Performances are July 6 at 8 p.m.; July 7 at 3 p.m.; July 10 at 8 p.m.; July 12 at 7 p.m.

The show is described: "Set in a fictional city in present day Africa, Nadira, a beautiful, sultry singer, performs nightly in a jazz club. The story revolves around Nadira and the fate of the men who love her. An original musical with pulsing, modern African rhythms, [it's] a story of love, destiny and the place of the supernatural in the modern world."